Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges as U.K. trial gets date

Los Angeles Times

a day ago

British comedian Russell Brand remained firm this week in denying he sexually assaulted four women from 1999 to 2005.
The controversial 'Get Him to the Greek' actor, 49, appeared in a London court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. Brand, who was charged in April, said 'not guilty' after each count was read in Southwark Crown Court. A legal representative for Brand did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment on Friday.
Brand, who is best known for starring in raunchy comedies including 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall,' 'Rock of Ages' and 'Arthur,' entered his not guilty plea months after U.K. authorities announced its counts against the comedian.
The charges stem from four separate alleged incidents involving different women. Prosecutors allege Brand raped a woman in the English seaside area of Bournemouth in 1999. He also allegedly indecently assaulted a second woman in 2001, orally raped and sexually assaulted a third woman in 2004 and sexually assaulted the fourth woman between 2004 to 2005. The final three allegations occurred in Westminster, according to U.K. officials.
At the time, Brand denied the allegations via social media.
'I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist. I've never engaged in nonconsensual activities,' he said in a video shared to Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). 'I pray you can tell that by looking in my eyes.'
Before he was charged, Brand faced previous allegations of rape and sexual assault in September 2023, when the Times of London published its joint investigation with 'Dispatches,' a news program on Britain's Channel 4. Several women came forward with allegations that Brand sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013. At the time, Brand refuted the 'very, very serious criminal allegations' and claimed he was being targeted by the 'mainstream media' because of his views. Since distancing himself from Hollywood, Brand in recent years has refashioned himself as an anti-establishment commentator and platformed conspiracy theories about vaccines and the 9/11 attacks.
In November 2023, the actor was sued for sexual assault in New York by a woman who said she worked as an extra in Brand's 2011 film 'Arthur.' That same month, the BBC said it received multiple complaints about the risqué comedian relating to his workplace conduct when he hosted radio programs from 2006 to 2008.
In recent years, Brand has also turned his focus to religion. In 2024, he doubled down on his commitment to Christianity and was baptized in the River Thames. At the time, he said it was 'an opportunity to leave the past behind and be reborn in Christ's name.'
As he arrived to court on Friday, Brand was seen clutching a copy of 'The Valley of Vision,' a collection of Puritan prayers.
His trial is set to begin June 3, 2026, and is expected to last four to five weeks.
Times staff writer Meredith Blake and the Associated Press contributed to this report.